Ambassador Victor Gbeho, the Chairman of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, organizers of the controversial Ghana Expatriates Awards, has reiterated that the monies received by the Foundation in connection with the event were from voluntary sponsors.<\/p>\n
He said expatriates were not coerced to make the payments with the promise of sitting close to the President, Nana Akufo-Addo.<\/p>\n
The Foundation is at the center of a controversial allegation of selling seats at the event for between $25,000 and $100,000 to some attendees with the promise of allowing them sit close to the President who was the special guest at the event.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”S113AvD3csUhYZKDQp9mHo22g530nTdx”]The Foundation, during its meeting with Parliament\u2019s ad-hoc committee investigating the matter, denied any wrongdoing in the organization of the event.<\/p>\n
Ambassador Gbeho in his presentation said no seat was sold at the event, noting that some persons who sat at the high table did not make any payment contrary to suggestions by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, who first made the allegation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Millennium Excellence Foundation did not coerce or levy any persons or institutions to come out with sums of money that will enable them to sit next to the Head of State. The Foundation found voluntary sponsors to support the first class event that was held. It did not sell seats for cash nor was any expatriate firm excluded from the attendance of the event because it did not sponsor. Indeed, it is a fact that most of the VIP seated on the presidential table did not pay sponsorship or the alleged $100,000 before the gala event,\u201d Ambassador Gbeho said.<\/p>\n
The President of the Foundation, Ashim Morton, further denied claims that some expatriates were made to pay monies in order to receive awards at the event.<\/p>\n